Automobile luggage racks frequently employ two separate subassemblies or portions: a rectangular framework which surrounds the load to be carried and a plurality of slats which rest on the roof or other automobile body surface and carry the weight of the load. In such constructions the framework and the slats are often secured to the automobile body independently of one another or the slats are connected to the body through the framework by means of special cross straps. In still another automobile luggage or article carrier, the means of confining the luggage and supporting its weight are formed into one unitary welded tubular assembly.
Some luggage racks or article carriers have been designed to be secured on an automobile body by flexible straps or the like and are easily removed from the automobile. Such carriers, however, have not enjoyed great popularity. They have generally been quite unsightly and their bulk and weight have made their removal and storage rather difficult. Accordingly, most automobile owners desiring a luggage rack have favored the type of luggage rack which is permanently mounted on the vehicle. The one type of article carrier of the removable type which is in common use is a so-called "ski rack". Ski racks have traditionally been somewhat awkward to install on and remove from an automobile. Also, the presence of a luggage rack on an automobile has frequently interferred with the use of a ski rack.
In my prior U.S. Pat. No. Re. 26,539, I disclosed a luggage carrier having cross bars which can be adjusted to accommodate loads of varying size. This construction has achieved significant commercial success. Nevertheless, some problems have been experienced in adapting this type of luggage carrier to the carrying of certain types of loads, including skis. While this type of carrier does provide an improved degree of flexibility in its use, it is believed that a need exists for a luggage rack which has the attractive appearance of modern permanently mounted luggage carriers but which possess a degree of removability and greater adaptability to varying loads.